The Black Hour
by sakuramau
Summary: Koyomi tries to find out why he suddenly finds it hard to move and feels weak. Is it a human illness? Or vampiric anemia? Or does it have something to do with the fact his sisters didn't wake him up today?


Today, my little sisters didn't wake me up.

When I opened my eyes it turned out I was already late for school. I jumped out of my bed and tried to hurry up.

Thud!

I was lying on the floor.

What happened?

Ah, I heard that it sometimes happens if you get up too quickly. The blood pressure is very low when you sleep so you shouldn't make any sudden movements until it raises to the usual level.

So I picked myself up very slowly. It worked. I went to take my clothes.

Was it always so difficult to move? I started seeing black by the time I got to the closet. I leaned on its doors to rest for a while.

Then, with heavy hands, I took out a random T-shirt and pants. What was going on with me? Maybe I should go see a doctor?

Right. "Hello, I'm half-vampire and started feeling very weak this morning." No, it wouldn't work. Let's see... If I was human, what would be the most likely diagnose? Probably anemia or beginnings of the flu.

As for the flu, I was certain I didn't have it. As a half-vampire illnesses like this didn't have much impact on me, more like not at all. Anemia...?

I froze holding my T-shirt in my hand. What if... What if it was vampiric anemia? The human kind had something to do with not enough blood... So maybe...?

No! I won't drink blood! Damn you, Oshino, you said I was almost human and I believed you! And now you went away leaving me alone with all this! Where am I supposed to go for help?!

"My master, could you please not shout so when others are sleeping?"

I hadn't even realized when I started saying - or rather screaming - my thoughts aloud. I put on my T-shirt and sat down on the bed.

"Shinobu. Sorry I woke you up, but this is an emergency. Please, tell me - what does it mean when somebody like me suddenly becomes weak and can't move quickly? When I got up, I blacked out for a moment and now I feel it would happen again if I tried to walk faster than a turtle."

"Hm. Human illnesses shouldn't affect you..."

"So, is it something connected to vampires, then? Is it... am I perhaps becoming more like one?"

"No, it's not about it. If you craved blood, I would feel it as well. Remember our connection."

Phew. I was glad it wasn't that... But what was it then?

"So it's this time, already, huh...," Shinobu looked at the clock.

"Yeah, I woke up too late so I stated hurrying to go to school... Well, now it's no use, with this body I'd get there by noon at best..."

"You quarreled with your sisters yesterday, correct?"

It was only then that I remembered. Yes, we had a fight. That was why they didn't wake me up today...

"Yeah... Some petty reason... But they took offense to something I said and..."

"Last night was the Black Hour."

"What?"

"The Black Hour is a time when what people say becomes truth."

"Huh?"

"You can curse somebody with mere words, not even meaning it. It's enough to say something bad about someone and it will become true. Although it doesn't affect humans much. It's different when it comes to other beings..."

...such as a half-vampire, I finished in my head.

"So it's something one of them said?"

"Probably. Something one of them said at 21:47:51."

"If you knew the exact time of it, why didn't you warn me?!"

"It didn't cross my mind."

"Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

"There's a way to remove the effects of this curse. You have to remember what they said. Then your body will know what to get rid of or what to restore."

"So either I have something I shouldn't have or I lost something?"

"Yes. It could be anything. Physical, an abstract concept... anything."

"Great."

"You could also ask them when they come home from school. Maybe they still remember."

"I don't think they know what they said at exactly 21:41:57."

"47:51."

"Anyway. And _if_ I know what happened to me, then everything will come back to normal?"

"Yes. In about a week. It may also hurt, depending on the extent of damage that needs to be repaired."

"Just fantastic."

"I can't wait to find out what it is you've been cursed with, ka ka ka," Shinobu laughed. "Although I hope it won't hurt much when it heals, I feel your pain, after all."

"How can you be so heartless? Laughing at what bad things happen to other people and only caring..."

Wait.

Tsukihi had said something like that last night.

"You're so heartless, Onii-chan!"

I slowly moved my left hand up and put it on my chest. I put my right hand on the other side. It felt exactly the same.

Heart-less.

Damn.


End file.
